Ratbat (SG)

Ratbat is a heroicDecepticonRecordiconfrom theShattered Glasscontinuity family.

Yes, Soundwave, I shall become a bat.

Before the war,Ratbatwas a famous self-help guru well known for his motivational audio programs and seminars such as "Unlimited Fuel: Awaken the Gestalt Within". But now that the war has caused those products to fall out of favor, Ratbat spends his time instead convincing his salesmen to sell his maintenance and aesthetic products. What he doesn't tell them is that he actually makes all of his money off selling them his old tapes.

Although he promotes himself as being a drinker of high-quality oils, in fact he has a scandalous addiction to low-gradeenergon.

However, there seems to be another side of Ratbat. Something that lurks on rooftops while lightning flashes ominously in the background. Something nocturnal. Something vengeful...

Fiction

Fun PublicationsShattered Glasscontinuity

Daaaaah dah dah daaaaaaaaaaaaaah daaaaaaaaaaaaaaah daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.

By day, mild-mannered philanthropist Ratbat portrays a public image of inebriation and frivolity. At dusk, however, he is vengeance. He is the night. He...is...BATBOT!Recordicons #2

The Batbot signal resulted in him rendezvousing withCommissioner Garboilon a rooftop. Garboil reported thatBlackcathad escaped fromG9,but before Batbot could go and investigate, he needed Garboil andHowlbackto turn around so he could execute another of his mysterious disappearing acts.Recordicons #5

Ratbat appeared onSlamdance's show to give his opinion of Batbot. He was alarmed when Slamdance put up a file photo of Batbot next to him, and requested it be taken down.Recordicons #9

He must become something dark, something terrible, like...*cassette tape flies through the window*

Arriving on aparallel Earth,Batbot set out to find his evil counterpart there. He ran intoRumbleandFrenzy,who broke the news that his alternate self was dead. After he asked them if evil Ratbat had unfinished business, they directed him to Ratbat's quarters in which a stack of paperwork was waiting to be done.Recordicons#11Unable to solve Blackcat's riddles, Batbot was suspended over a vat of boiling liquid. WhenSlugfestcame crashing through the wall to his rescue, Batbot was surprised by Blackcat's immediate surrender as it was "only Slugfest."Recordicons#15

Confronted by positive universeHowlbackwho was offended by his crusade against evil, Batbot found he hadNightprowleron his side.Recordicons#21

Following the disruptive arrival ofanother universe's Earth, Soundwave attempted to repair the fried planetary electrical systems on his universe's Earth asSlugfestfailed to help and Bat-Bot stood watch. Suddenly Bat-Bot signaled that interlopers had arrived–Blasterand his brethrenRewindandRamhorn.Bat-Bot singled out Rewind for battle. Temporarily, Blaster ingested the captive strangerSolarbotand began attacking everyone with solar flares, until Solarbot overwhelmed Blaster and left his body. As Blaster and his tapes fled, Bat-Bot and the other Decepticons welcomed Solarbot to their ranks.Solar Requiem

IDWShattered Glasscontinuity

And how come Ratbat doesn'tdanceanymore?

Ratbat attended one ofMegatron's anti-empuratarallies until Megatron's dispute with security officerProwlturned violent. According toStarscream,this incident played a role in Ratbat's eventual election to the CybertronianSenate,although Megatron opined that his time as a senator did little to advance the Decepticon cause.Shattered Glass #2

Some time later, Ratbat was amongst the casualties whenUltra Magnusled astrike teamto massacre the Senate, being torn in half by the corrupt lawman himself near the end of the attack.Shattered Glass II #1

Toys

Shattered Glass

Punk is nothing but death... and crime... and the RAGE of a BEAST.

• SG Soundwave vs SG Blaster(Multi-pack,2013)

• ID number:VSE
• Accessories:2 guns, cassette case

Shattered Glass"SG Ratbat" is aredecoof theoriginal Ratbat mold,transforming from robotic bat into a microcassette. In cassette form he can fit into the tape compartments of any iteration of the originalSoundwaveandBlastermolds (and a few other toys of those characters to boot). Ratbat is decoed in the colors of "Batbot", while the bonus sticker sheet includes stickers which can be added to his chest to resemble abat-esque symbolof some sort.

He was only available in ane-HOBBYexclusiveboxed "versus" set, which also includesSG Soundwave,SG Slugfest,SG Blaster,SG Rewind,SG Ramhorn,andSolarbot,as well as the 12-page "Solar Requiem"comic. This set was imported byFun Publicationsas part of aShattered Glass-themed "exclusive exchange", with e-Hobby importing theBotCon 2012"Invasion" box set for Japanese collectors.

• More information on Ratbat at TFU.info

Notes

• The name of Ratbat's audio program is taken from books by self-help guruTony Robbins.
• His superhero color scheme (and fictional double life, if you hadn't figured it out) is based onBatman.His secret identity color scheme, likewise, is based on Bruce Wayne's brown and mustard outfit fromBatman: The Animated Series.
• Ratbat's appearance inIDW Publishing's comic series is modeled on theWar for Cybertron: SiegeMicromasterRatbattoy.

Foreign names

• Japanese:Ratbat(ラットバットRattobatto)